Entrepreneurs to Lead the Way to a More Ethical Business Future ...

7 Graces Global ConferenceThe term ?Corporate Social Responsibility? (CSR) has been a buzz word in both the business and environmental worlds over the past few years. The message of those who speak out for CSR is simple: the time has come for businesses to move away from thinking only about short-term profits and look at the bigger impact their business has upon the global economy, people and the planet.

We live in a consumer culture. This means that, today more than ever, the entrepreneur has a powerful role to play in society. We all know that with great power comes great responsibility, and given all the ways business and marketing has affected the world, more and more entrepreneurs are waking up to the fact that it is time to reassess what we are doing and why, and to take responsibility for the impact our choices and actions have on the wider welfare of the world.

This cannot happen if we continue we all act in isolation. To create a tangible and positive shift in the world, we need to come together as business owners, and form a critical mass of key influencers in society. We need both to speak up and to listen to each other.

That is exactly what will be happening at the 7 Graces Global Conference (7GGC). The 3-day conference will take place on Friday June 22nd through Sunday 24th, 2012 in London, England and will also be broadcast worldwide via Interactive Live Stream.

7GGC will bring together entrepreneurs, marketers, media professionals, journalists, conscious consumers and eco-citizens from around the world, who wish to demonstrate their commitment to business ethics, corporate responsibility, social wellbeing and environmental sustainability. Together, they will become a Tipping Point for positive change. You can read about the conference, and book you place, at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/7GGC.

The conference will also be offered via Interactive Live Stream, accessible from anywhere in the world with Internet access, where you can share your opinions, questions and innovations with London delegates.

The event will feature 9 dynamic guest presenters including Keynote speaker RACHEL ELNAUGH, former ?Dragon? from BBC TV?s hit show DRAGONS? DEN.

The 7 Graces Global Conference is the brainchild of my good friend, LYNN SERAFINN, a marketer and author of number-1 bestseller The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell.

Lynn says, ?We won?t be ?selling? anything at this conference except our commitment to humanity and the planet. The primary question we?ll be addressing throughout the three days will be ?How can we heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell???

I am proud to be supporting 7GGC by helping spread the word about this important event, and I encourage you to attend either the London conference, or via Interactive Live Stream. And, as one of my valued readers, you can also get a special 10% discount when you register:

Register for the 7 Graces Global Conference

either in London or via Live Stream at

http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/7GGC

Then, enter the coupon code: 7ggc-special-10

I hope to see you at 7GGC on June 22nd-24th.

7 Graces Global Conference

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The Facebook Phone Will Use Linux

This shouldn't come as a terrible surprise, but the Facebook Phone looks like it will be running atop Linux.

For many months now there's been speculations about the Facebook Phone that will inevitably come out of Facebook. It's not a matter of if but when. Speculations have been rampant about this mobile phone. Some have speculated that Facebook could be building its phone upon Windows Phone 7, but I've found out this weekend from a reliable source that it will be a Linux-based device. Though whether this is Android-based or just based upon an upstream Linux source with a custom UI layer atop, that isn't known to Phoronix at the moment.

It's nice to see Facebook continuing to embrace Linux and open-source even with their deep involvement with Microsoft and the Redmond company owning a stake of the social networking company. Other Facebook open-source/Linux initiatives include Flashcache for Linux, the HipHop compiler, the Open Compute Project, etc.

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University of Florida physicists set new record for graphene solar cell efficiency

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Arthur Hebard
afh@ufl.edu
352-222-6212
University of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. Doping may be a no-no for athletes, but researchers in the University of Florida's physics department say it was key in getting unprecedented power conversion efficiency from a new graphene solar cell created in their lab.

Graphene solar cells are one of industry's great hopes for cheaper, durable solar power cells in the future. But previous attempts to use graphene, a single-atom-thick honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms, in solar cells have only managed power conversion efficiencies ranging up to 2.9 percent. The UF team was able to achieve a record breaking 8.6 percent efficiency with their device by chemically treating, or doping, the graphene with trifluoromethanesulfonyl-amide, or TFSA. Their results are published in the current online edition of Nano Letters.

"The dopant makes the graphene film more conductive and increases the electric field potential inside the cell," said Xiaochang Miao, a graduate student in the physics department. That makes it more efficient at converting sunlight into electricity. And unlike other dopants that have been tried in the past, TFSA is stable its effects are long lasting.

The solar cell that Miao and her co-workers created in the lab looks like a 5-mm-square window framed in gold. The window, a wafer of silicon coated with a monolayer of graphene, is where the magic happens.

Graphene and silicon, when they come together, form what is called a Schottky junction a one-way street for electrons that when illuminated with light, acts as the power conversion zone for an entire class of solar cells. Schottky junctions are commonly formed by layering a metal on top of a semiconductor. But researchers at the UF Nanoscience Institute for Medical and Engineering Technologies discovered in 2011 that graphene, a semi-metal, made a suitable substitute for metal in creating the junction.

"Graphene, unlike conventional metals, is transparent and flexible, so it has great potential to be an important component in the kind of solar cells we hope to see incorporated into building exteriors and other materials in the future," said Arthur Hebard, distinguished professor of physics at UF and co-author on the paper. "Showing that its power-converting capabilities can be enhanced by such a simple, inexpensive treatment bodes well for its future."

The researchers said that if graphene solar cells reach 10 percent power conversion efficiency they could be a contender in the market place, if production costs are kept low enough.

The prototype solar cell created in the UF lab was built on a rigid base of silicon, which is not considered an economical material for mass production. But Hebard said that he sees real possibilities for combining the use of doped graphene with less expensive, more flexible substrates like the polymer sheets currently under development in research laboratories around the world.

###

Credits

Writer

Donna Hesterman , donna.hesterman@ufl.edu, 352-846-2573

Source

Arthur Hebard, afh@ufl.edu, 352-222-6212

Source

Xiaochang Miao, xxmiaophy@gmail.com, 352-871-4116



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?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Arthur Hebard
afh@ufl.edu
352-222-6212
University of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. Doping may be a no-no for athletes, but researchers in the University of Florida's physics department say it was key in getting unprecedented power conversion efficiency from a new graphene solar cell created in their lab.

Graphene solar cells are one of industry's great hopes for cheaper, durable solar power cells in the future. But previous attempts to use graphene, a single-atom-thick honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms, in solar cells have only managed power conversion efficiencies ranging up to 2.9 percent. The UF team was able to achieve a record breaking 8.6 percent efficiency with their device by chemically treating, or doping, the graphene with trifluoromethanesulfonyl-amide, or TFSA. Their results are published in the current online edition of Nano Letters.

"The dopant makes the graphene film more conductive and increases the electric field potential inside the cell," said Xiaochang Miao, a graduate student in the physics department. That makes it more efficient at converting sunlight into electricity. And unlike other dopants that have been tried in the past, TFSA is stable its effects are long lasting.

The solar cell that Miao and her co-workers created in the lab looks like a 5-mm-square window framed in gold. The window, a wafer of silicon coated with a monolayer of graphene, is where the magic happens.

Graphene and silicon, when they come together, form what is called a Schottky junction a one-way street for electrons that when illuminated with light, acts as the power conversion zone for an entire class of solar cells. Schottky junctions are commonly formed by layering a metal on top of a semiconductor. But researchers at the UF Nanoscience Institute for Medical and Engineering Technologies discovered in 2011 that graphene, a semi-metal, made a suitable substitute for metal in creating the junction.

"Graphene, unlike conventional metals, is transparent and flexible, so it has great potential to be an important component in the kind of solar cells we hope to see incorporated into building exteriors and other materials in the future," said Arthur Hebard, distinguished professor of physics at UF and co-author on the paper. "Showing that its power-converting capabilities can be enhanced by such a simple, inexpensive treatment bodes well for its future."

The researchers said that if graphene solar cells reach 10 percent power conversion efficiency they could be a contender in the market place, if production costs are kept low enough.

The prototype solar cell created in the UF lab was built on a rigid base of silicon, which is not considered an economical material for mass production. But Hebard said that he sees real possibilities for combining the use of doped graphene with less expensive, more flexible substrates like the polymer sheets currently under development in research laboratories around the world.

###

Credits

Writer

Donna Hesterman , donna.hesterman@ufl.edu, 352-846-2573

Source

Arthur Hebard, afh@ufl.edu, 352-222-6212

Source

Xiaochang Miao, xxmiaophy@gmail.com, 352-871-4116



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


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Sheridan Inn managers focus on paying down debt

Story Published: May 26, 2012 at 12:01 AM MDT

Story Updated: May 26, 2012 at 12:01 AM MDT

SHERIDAN, Wyo. (AP) ? The board that operates the Historic Sheridan Inn plans to focus on paying down a $1.4 million debt rather than fundraising to finish renovations at the Sheridan landmark.

Sheridan Heritage Center board President Jacob Brooks says the future of the inn is still a little uncertain.

The bank holding the loan has agreed to lower interest payments through the end of the year. But, if payments cannot be made following the first of the year, there is still the potential the inn could be foreclosed.

Brooks tells The Sheridan Press (http://bit.ly/Kv4DL9 ) that ideally pledges would be received to cover both the loan repayment and renovations.

It will cost about $2 million to complete renovation of the inn.

The board has pledges of $755,300 so far.

___

Information from: The Sheridan (Wyo.) Press, http://www.thesheridanpress.com/

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Fowl weather report

This is not Big Important News -- no economic meltdowns or international showdowns. It's just a note about a new generation of backyard chickens trying to fit in.

By John Yemma / May 27, 2012

An indigenous woman holds a rooster for sale during the weekly market IN Chichica stenango, Guatemala.

Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff/File

Enlarge

A new generation of spring chickens, fuzzy and endearingly incompetent, arrived at our New England home six weeks ago. They are replacements. During the hungry winter months, a red-tailed hawk visited. Hawks are admirable in their own way. So despite the drama, there are no hard feelings. And because this is the time of year the biota of the Northern Hemisphere bust loose, predators now have other options.?

Skip to next paragraph John Yemma

Editor, The Christian Science Monitor

John Yemma is the editor of The Christian Science Monitor, which publishes on CSMonitor.com, in a print weekly, and in an e-mail delivered daily news briefing. Yemma, who became the Monitor?s editor in 2008 after 20 years at the Boston Globe, has been a foreign correspondent, Washington reporter, and covered economics, science, and culture during his 35-year career. A 1974 graduate of the University of Texas, he was a Reuter Fellow at Oxford University in 1994 and a Sulzberger Fellow at Columbia University in 2008.

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With Memorial Day approaching, we are well beyond spring?s delicate, tentative sprouting ? the mix of last year?s memory and this year?s desire, to paraphrase T.S. Eliot. The fiesta of summer is about to begin.

The new chicks have their pinfeathers and are experimenting with flying (which they?ll never win prizes for, but, hey, a hawk can?t hit Mach 1). During the warm-up of mid-May, we moved them to a mini-coop adjacent to the shed that houses the backyard flock we?ve had for the past three years. The class of 2012 (Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes, and Sex Links) has bonded over water and mash and a popular warming light. Now their range is extending. Ahead lie the treacherous shoals of integration with those who arrived before them.

Precedence is a powerful force. No matter how gradually integration is engineered, there?s no way to avoid issues as older fowl assert their pecking order. No amount of human intervention ? not helicopter parenting, not shaming, not a court order ? can stop the hazing. Generation 1 did it to Gen 2. Both will do it to Gen 3.

But we intervene anyway. Nature doesn?t get to take its course in a backyard. Without intervention, without the human impulse to adjust the balance, try something different, build or spend or pay without a thought of return on investment, nature would prevail. We?d have no artwork, cultivar roses, sonatas, or souffl?s. As seen in a thousand PBS TV shows, nature can be magnificent. But left to its own devices, it can also break your heart.

Which is not what chickens do, unless you are a worm. ?Chickens are an odd mix of adventurer and comedian. Even their physiques are amusing ? plump, friendly bodies that look like miniature Spanish galleons, bracketed by boney talons and wary faces. Happen upon a few in the garden and they?ll shriek and run for their lives, certain you are eyeing them for dinner. But work the ground for a minute and they?re practically riding your spade to get a look at the freshly turned earth.

The best part about chickens (besides the eggs) is encountering them after a long day when they?ve been busy doing their own thing ? scratching, pecking, and worrying every interesting inch of a garden. Suddenly, they see you ? and you?re a rock star. With no thought for decorum, they race zanily in your direction, a madcap armada hoping for a handful of corn. They practically throw themselves in your path, crouching to be petted. Choose me! No, me!?

The other best part is when they put themselves to bed at night, setting aside their political snits and cooing contentedly, as if they are talking about what a great day they had, because, well, they all got to be here at this time and this place, enjoying this sun, and dirt, and these interesting circumstances.

We can have deep and heartfelt differences with each other. We can be Sunni or Shiite, Republican or Democrat, chicken or hawk. Summer is a reminder that we all get to enjoy the same sun warming the same magnificent planet.

John Yemme is editor of the Monitor. You can reach him at yemmaj@csmonitor.com.

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Easy Home Improvement Strategies To Add Ambience And Security ...

Quite a few people have ample ideas for home improvement projects. Nevertheless, as we all recognize, the one thing that usually gets in our way is know-how and price. Anyway, just a tiny bit of ingenuity and exploration can take care of most Ponder over what all is feasible on a smaller scale; you dont have to completely redo a room.

You can come up with quite a few ideas, if you keep the improvement of safety in mind, while you do a walk-through of your home. Also, there is a multitude of ways you can improve your home with smaller projects. You can up multiply the possibilities, if you are willing to learn some new skills.

There are so many ways to improve the conditions in your home such as with personal safety. Because they slip on the stairs, thousands of people die or are injured every year. Consider putting non-slip adhesive strips on steps that lead to your basement, if you have one. At some point or another, we have all observed these and they work quite well, plus they allow for safe footing.

Guarantee that more than one thin strip, is placed on every step. In order to ensure the highest amount of safety, we suggest that you add at least three narrow strips to every step. If you have children in your home, then this becomes even more crucial for thwarting horrible falls.

Everyone who has a garage knows how aggravating it can be to keep it organized. Evidently, there is no plus side to the fact that garages at some time or another become the catch-all storing place. Therefore, locate and set up hangers in your garage, if you wish to do something to keep things in order. Including those that can be hung on walls, there are quite a few different devices and designs. A majority of individuals use these for hanging garden gizmos and other tools that dont weigh a whole lot. This will free up some space, regardless if you have 20+ or less than half a dozen hand tools.

Adding a large basin to your basin can be a great idea. Most of the time, these are just utility and general purpose usage basins. The way this sink will be utilized can be endless. For those things that are not meant to be washed in your kitchen; this sink will be perfect. If you work on your cars or trucks, or anything else, then you will use it for cleaning up your hands. This installation can actually be a fairly easy job. If you can do the undertaking by yourself that would be great; otherwise you can hire the job out to a plumber.

The way things are today, you almost cannot do too much for home improvement with security in mind. Investing a lot of cash into a security system is not necessary which is very good to know. Determine what you need to have and have this installed. After that, just go online and begin looking at all the solutions on the market.

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Leaked image of pre-sale flyer lists Galaxy S III Canadian launch date: June 20

When Samsung first announced its already hot (pre-)selling Galaxy S III, it also announced that the device would launch in Europe on May 29, arriving on North American carriers in June. Those sorts of promises are easily broken, but it appears that the N.A. launch date may still hit June.The image of a pre-order flyer has been leaked online showing a June 20th date for Canadian carriers Rogers, Bell, Telus, and Virgin Mobile. The original posters of the image, Mobile Syrup, were then asked to pull the image, which makes one think that the June 20 date might be true [as folks get a lot more antsy when the info is correct].Still, the image was picked up before it was pulled, and that's where the link currently directs. It is unclear who asked Mobile Syrup to pull the image, and how long the new image will remain online is, of course questionable.

The Samsung Galaxy S III is the latest in the Galaxy S series. Both the GS and GS2 were huge hits. As noted above, a European retail launch date has been announced; it's believed the device might hit pre-order status in Canada by May 30, but that is still unconfirmed.

In terms of the specs, we know that the device will ship with a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED 1,280 x 720 display; a quad-core Samsung Exynos system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor; an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 1.9MP front-facing camera; along with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.x), and Samsung's TouchWiz skin.

It will also have S Voice, a new Siri rival developed in concert with Vlingo (which has a stand-alone Android app in Google Play), enhancements to gesture functionality, facial tracking, and S Beam, and enhanced Android beaming feature.

The all-important cellular technology support will depending on the region you live in, but there is either HSPA+ or LTE functionality.?Pricing for North American markets is still unknown, but sites like Expansys are pre-selling versions of the device, with a version of the Galaxy S III going for about $700 unlocked.

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Memorial Day BBQ and Beverage Suggestions - Summit, NJ Patch

If you're planning on hosting a barbecue to celebrate the long weekend, local merchants?Savory Spice Shop?and CoolVines?are offering some suggestions to help get your party started.?

Savory's co-owner Becky Solheim shared some of the East Broad Street shop's top recipes to ring in the unofficial start of summer.?

Jerk Chicken:
Ingredients:
6-9 tbsp.?Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. soy sauce
6 tbsp. vinegar
6 tbsp. orange juice
4 tbsp. lime juice
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Notes:
To make an extra spicy jerk paste, bring remaining marinade, meat bits and all, to a boil in a sauce pan. Stir continuously until it thickens. Serve on the side for those who prefer even more heat.

Directions:
Mix ingredients together and marinate chicken (we prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs) or meat of choice for 4-12 hours. Grill for the best flavor.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with jerk paste (see notes) for that extra kick. Also, make coconut rice by combining 1 cup Jasmine rice and 1 14 fluid ounce can coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a very low simmer, cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and stir well, then let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. To punch up the coconut flavor, add 1/3 tsp.?coconut extract.

Yields:?Makes enough for 2-3 lbs. of meat.

Red Rocks Hickory Smoke & Beer BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
6-8 tbsp.?Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Seasoning
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
2/3 cup beer
6 tbsp. ketchup

Directions:
Stir ingredients together in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil then simmer for 7-10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions:
Try on beef, chicken and pork.

Yields:?1 Cup

Stop by the shop for more ideas.

Drinks, anyone??

Here are some fun, fresh, crowd-pleasing, and grill-friendly suggestions from the CoolVines gang:?

Ros?s are perfect for outdoor sipping and will accompany a variety of Spring and summer fare. In particular, we are recommending the?Commanderie de la Bargemone Ros??from Provence. Its delicate aromatics and bright, crisp acidity are a great match for anyone looking to be refreshed and impressed.?

Merlot-based Bordeaux wines greatly complement and enhance the flavor of grilled meats. Merlot is the most widely-planted grape in France's Bordeaux region and there a ton of amazing, high-quality wines priced at $15 and under that will steal the show at any BBQ. We highly recommend the?Chateau Rollan de BY Comtesse 2009--an absolute beauty with unsurpassed value."?

CoolVines' Lauren Ramos explained there is currently a huge craft can movement going on in the beer world.?

"There are a lot of craft brewing companies out there that have opted to can their brews. We have Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy out of Wisconsin, an array of offerings from Nantucket's Cisco Brewers, and Brooklyn Brewery's Summer Ale.? They all come in 12-pack cans, which chill faster, are more affordable, and easier on the environment. ?

"You can also choose to go local (and who doesn't want to do that?)! We actually have assistant brewer, Brent Rusche from New Jersey's very own?Cricket Hill Brewery?coming to conduct a tasting at CoolVines this Sunday from 2-5 p.m.? We'll be tasting their New Jersey Breakfast Ale and Colonel Blides Cask Ale among others."

For more information, contact CoolVines at 908-232-5050 and Savory Spice Shop at 908-264-8947.?

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Could You Consider College?

It's the right of each and every person in South Africa to get an education. This only applies to matric level however. There are a few choices for a tertiary schooling. You can go to a technikon, university or perhaps a college. Each option will give you different avenues and various career opportunities. The actual questions is whether or not you need to go to college if you get the chance.

The easy answer to that question is yes. The more you'll be able to educate yourself, the better it really is for your career. Let's take a look at what a college education would offer you.

The first thing that attending college and passing the different courses which you take might do is actually increase your employability. Which means that you are more likely to be considered for a job if you have gone to college.

What going to college and attaining a tertiary education suggests is you are able as well as willing to learn. This is a truly huge advantage with regards to starting out in a new job.

Additionally, you will manage to find an area that interests you. Instead of floating around from job to job, college allows you to locate an area that you will be happy to stay in for the rest of your life. It is important that this area is actually of great interest to you and that you will be able to get a job working in this area. You need to be able to enjoy your work. Many people do not enjoy their jobs and this is actually one of the greatest reasons why people quit and begin anew somewhere else whilst never truly settling down.

One more thing that college is wonderful for is teaching you to stand on your own two feet. Many people seem to be very reliant on other for the things that they require. When you go to college you are not likely to be spoon fed every piece of information that you'll require. You will have to learn how to do some extra studying by yourself from various external resources. This truly teaches you a great deal concerning how to learn things and discover info and it also teaches you lots of self-discipline. All of these things will stand you in good stead at a later stage in your life.

As you should be able to see by now, being sure that you get a tertiary education of some kind if certainly a good idea. It will make you more appealing to companies when it comes to getting a job. It can help you to find a career path that will appeal to you for some time to come. It will likewise reach you a few very useful life skills such as researching and self-discipline.

The long and the short of it is that if you are able to get into a tertiary education establishment, then do this. You will really be doing yourself a favor in the long run.

?

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SpaceX Dragon set for rendezvous

The SpaceX company's Dragon cargo capsule is expected to join up with the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday.

Nasa has cleared the unmanned vehicle to move in close to the orbiting platform after a successful series of demonstrations on Thursday.

SpaceX is attempting to become the first commercial concern to run a freight service to the ISS.

Dragon carries half a tonne of food and spares for the 400km-high laboratory.

Astronauts onboard the station will try to grab the ship with a robotic arm once it gets within reach.

The crewmen will then berth the vessel to a free port on the underside of the platform.

"Dragon's 'go' for berthing day," said SpaceX mission director, John Couluris, on completion of Thursday demos.

And Holly Ridings, the Nasa flight director overseeing the SpaceX mission, added: "We had a very successful day, a great day in space; and certainly from the Nasa side we're excited about how the mission is going so far."

Dragon was launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Tuesday.

It has spent the intervening period raising its orbit closer to the altitude of the ISS.

Thursday's tests required Dragon to show off its guidance, control and communications systems at a distance of just 2.5km from the station.

The operations were required by Nasa to prove the new vehicle's responsiveness.

Astronauts Don Petit and Andre Kuipers, reported seeing Dragon moving below them, and were even able to send a command to the capsule to turn on a strobe light.

Unlike the Russian and European robotic freighters that drive all the way into docking ports on the ISS, Dragon merely has to position itself in a zone 10m under the platform to be captured by the Canadarm2. It will be Petit who will be at the arm's controls to make the capture and berthing on Friday.

Ms Ridings, speaking at the Johnson Spaceflight Center in Houston, Texas, cautioned reporters that there was still much to be done: "This is a demonstration flight; a test flight, as we've been saying.

"To get through [Thursday] obviously makes you feel positive, but in terms of the activities for Friday, there's still a lot of really new things that the teams need to perform."

She stated that capture and berthing would probably occur around 10:30 CDT (15:30 GMT; 16:30 BST).

To date, only government-owned and operated vehicles have approached and docked with the space station.

The Dragon mission is part of Nasa's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (Cots) programme which was established to help shift some of the agency's traditional roles and activities into the private sector.

The agency is providing seed funding of approximately $800m to SpaceX and another company, Orbital Sciences Corporation, to enable them to develop new rocket and cargo vehicles.

Orbital's rocket is called Antares, and its freighter is known as Cygnus. The pair should go into space together for the first time before the end of the year.

Once the companies have reached the milestones laid out under Cots, lucrative ISS re-supply contracts will kick in.

Falcon rocket launch

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Watch Tuesday's launch from Cape Canaveral

For SpaceX, this is valued at $1.6bn (?1bn) and calls for a minimum of 12 Dragon missions to the ISS.

By buying in transportation services from the commercial sector, Nasa hopes to save money it can then spend on more challenging exploration ventures far beyond Earth, at asteroids and Mars.

Freight is just the first service to be contracted out. The ferrying of crews to and from the ISS will be next.

SpaceX wants this business as well, and is developing the safety and life-support systems that would allow Dragon to double up as an astronaut taxi.

Continue reading the main storyVital statistics: How do the spacecraft compare?

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter

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